MANILA – Domestic violence victims, particularly women and children, are urged to file complaints using the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) e-Sumbong platform during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Following an increase in such instances last year, PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has directed the police force to ensure that cases of child abuse and violence against women are kept to a minimum during the ECQ.
Domestic abuse, according to Eleazar, is a “complicated” issue because it occurs inside homes that are off-limits to authorities.
“Kaya gumawa tayo ng mga paraan para matugunan ito kabilang ang ating e-Sumbong kung saan mas pinadali natin ang paghingi ng tulong at pagrereklamo ng ating mga kababayan dahil mismong Facebook platform ay magagamit para sa police intervention (We created several ways to address this including e-Sumbong where we make it easier for our fellow Filipinos to ask for help and complain. The Facebook platform itself is available for police intervention),” Eleazar said in a statement Monday.
He encouraged people to report domestic violence occurrences to the police using the PNP’s social media accounts.
“Kaya hinihikayat natin ang ating mga kababayan na pagkatiwalaan ang inyong PNP sa isyung ito. Alalahanin natin na walang mang-aabuso kung walang magpapa-abuso (We urge you to trust in your police on this issue. No one gets abused if no one abuses),” he said.
During the implementation of ECQ last year, police noticed an increase in incidences of violence against women and children. The PNP had registered 4,260 instances of violence against women and children at the time.
